Cam means for leveling hearse bodies



July 31, 1934. w. H. HEISE CAM MEANS FOR LEVELING HEARSE BODIES 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12, 1929 ATTQQNEY July 31, 1934. w. H. HEISE 1,963,206

CAM MEANS FOR LEVELING HEARSE BODIES V Filed June 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .45 I //v vE/v 7-02 60 9 M//'///'am H He BY 14 M A TTOR/VEY Patented July 31, 1934 CAM MEANS FOR LEVELING HEARSE BODIES William H. Heise, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Big Rock Ranch Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a. corporationof California Application June 12, 1929, Serial No. 370,428

8 Claims. ('01. 29616) My invention relates to hearses and is especially adaptable to use with the side-loading type of hearse having a movable platform for receiving a cofiin or casket, which platform is adapted for extension from the side of the hearse in such a manner that the cofin may be readily placed thereon and removed therefrom.

Owing to the common practice of crowning the road surface of streets, a hearse standing at the side of the street is ordinarily maintained in a sloping position, with the result that the coffin-receiving platform slopes downwardly toward the sidewalk when it is moved into a position projecting from the hearse. It is difiicult to load a horizontally-carried cofiin onto a platform so inclined, for the reason that as the cofiin is'moved toward the platform in substantially level position, its front end engages the platform and instead of the cofiin being permitted to roll freely over the top of the platform, free movement is resisted, causing confusion to those carrying the cofiin in endeavoring to bring the coffin into proper alignment with the platform. This is objectionable during a funeral as such confusion mars the solemnity of the occasion. a

It is an object of the invention to provide vehicle having a load-receiving element such as a platform on which the load in the form of the casket is placed, and cooperative means whereby the platform may be leveled irrespective of the slope of the street surface on which the vehicle rests. a

An advantage of this invention is that a leveled platform will receive a casket which is "being carried by a number of persons in substantially level position and whose general tendency is to act together or in unit in following out instructions as to the raising or lowering of the casket.

It will be recognized that whereas the instruc- 4 form of operating mechanism which may be tion to raise the casket bodily, in level position is very simple in execution, considerable confusion ordinarily results if it is attempted to have some of the pall-bearers lower their portion of the casket while the opposite end is being raised.

In the use of the present invention the cofiin is carried to the hearse at any convenient height and on reaching the platform may be raised bodily in level position and quickly and smoothly moved into such position that the'platform and coffin may be swung into the hearse.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple form of cam means whereby the rightward side of the hearse may be raised so as to compensate for the slope of the street on Y diagrammatic form a'vehicle' standing adjacent which the hearse stands adjacent the curb or sidewalk.

A further object of the invention is to provide a second cam cooperative in its action with the previously named cam for pulling down or lowering the leftward side of the vehicle, this cooperation of raising and lowering actions quickly and expediently bringing the body of the vehicle into the desired level position.

tion will appear throughout the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings, which are forillustrative purposes only: L

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view indicating the interior of a hearse body with a projectable platform therein.

I Fig; 2 is a diagrammatic plan view'corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing the platform in projected position. i

Fig. 3 is across-section on the plane represented by the line 33 of Fig. 2, indicating in a curb on a sloping portion of a street, and with the platform projecting in horizontal or level position by virtue of the leveling devices I employ. Fig. 4 is a plan View indicating in simple form those members of a vehicle chassis essential to the operation of the preferred form of my invention disclosed herewith. I

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on a plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

r Fig. 6 is a fragmentary diametric sectional view taken as indicated by the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a section on a plane represented by the line 7'7 of Fig. 4. I

Fig. 8 is a detailed view disclosing an alternative A form of side-opening hearse with" which the invention may be employed includes, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a body 10 having a side opening '11 equipped in the customary manner with doors not herein shown, and having. a load-receiving platform 12 of sufficient size to accommodate a? casket-and being swingable from the position in which it is indicated in Fig. 1 to-the outwardly projecting position in which it is shown in' Figs. 2 and 3. The particular form of operating mechanism employed with the platform v12 not being i A further object of the invention is to provide essential to the present invention, I have shown the platform 12 as being equipped with a projecting flange member 13, as indicated in Fig. 3, which operates in a longitudinal slot 14, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Owing to the slope of the street surface 15, resulting from the present practice of crowning roads, the axle 16 of the vehicle rests in a sloped. position and when the vehicle is stopped adjacent the curb 17 of the sidewalk 18, and in view of the fact that through the support of spring members 19, the body of the'vehicle ordinarily assumes a position parallel to the road surface 15 and the axle 16, the platform 12 projecting from the body 10 under this normal condition would be downwardly sloped relative to the sidewalk 18 as indicated by the dotted lines 20 of Fig. 3.

It is desirable that this platform shall extend in a horizontal or level position as indicated by full lines in Fig. 3, and in order to hold the platform 12 in such position my invention provides means for lifting the right side of the chassis 21 and lowering the left side of the chassis 21 an extent required to bring the floor 22 of the vehicle body to level position, whereby the pro jecting platform will likewise be maintained in level position.

In Fig. 4 I have indicated the rear portion of the chassis 21 having a rear axle structure 24 thereunder for supporting rear wheels such as indi- .cated at 25, there being spring means extended between the chassis 21 and the axle structure or .housing 24 in keeping with the present construction of motor-driven vehicles. Supported on the side frames 26 and 2'? by means of downwardly projecting brackets 28, as indicated in Fig. 5, is

a lateral and horizontal shaft member 29 having an external-type of cam 30 mounted near its rightward end 31 and an internal type of cam 32 secured near its leftward end 33.

As shown in Fig. 5, the cam.30 has a spirallyvformed surface 34 adapted to engage the axle means or structure 24 and to force relatively downwardly thereon when the cam 30 is moved As shown in Fig. 6, the internal type of cam 32 has an internal spiral face 37 which engages the under portion of the axle structure 24 and as the cam is swung toward the position indicated by the dotted lines 38, it moves the axle structure 24 relatively upwardly as indicated by the dotted line 40, against the action of the spring members 41 cooperative beween said frame member 27 of the chassis and the left side of the axle structure 24. A lever 42 secured on the shaft 29, as indicated, in Figs. 4 and 5, provides a means through which the shaft may be rotated so as to rotate or move the cams 30 and 32 in the previously prescribed manner.

A rope or cable 44 may be extended from a clevis '45, pinioned at 46 to the outer end of the lever 42, to a drum member '47 mounted on an axle 48 toward the forward end of the hearse, this drum being equipped with a ratchet wheel 49 adapted "for engagement by a pawl 50 of an operating lever 51 whereby the drum may be rotated so as to wind the cable 44 thereon, there being a 53 to prevent reverse rotation of the drum memparts, elements, or structures which may be embound, and tilting of said axle means relative ber 47, this stop pawl 52 being equipped with a pedal 54 for foot engagement to release the pawl 52 to allow the unwinding of the cable 44 from the drum member 47, thus permitting the lever 42 to be swung in leftward direction by a suitably mounted tension spring 55, thereby swinging the cam members 30 and 32 into the position of disengagement in which they are shown in full lines in Figs. 5 and 6.

The combined actions of the cams in spreading apart the rightward side of the vehicle chassis 21 and the rightward end of the axle structure, together with pulling together or toward each other the leftward side of the vehicle chassis 21 and the leftward end of the axle structure 24, result in the lifting of the right side of the vehicle chassis21 and the pulling downward or lowering of the left side thereof, the springs of the vehicle flexing to compensate for such movement. The cams are indicated respectively by dotted lines 35 and 38 in fully engaged position wherein the tilting effect of the mechanism is at its maximum. It will be recognized, however, that the shaft 29 may be rotated to give any desired extent of engagement of the cams 30 and 32 with the axle structure 24,- between minimum and maximum, thus enabling any degree of compensating tilt to be imparted to the load-supporting structure represented by the vehicle body, the platform 12, and its associated parts.

As shown in Fig. 8, the cable 44 may be pulled by a screw having an attachment means 61 on the end thereof, and being threaded through a rotary nut 62 equipped with gear teeth 63 whereby the nut may be rotated by a pinion 64 of a motor 65, or similar power means. It will be noticed that the member 62 is confined between bearing blocks 66 and 67 which receive the screw 60 and have keys 68 set therein, as indicated in Fig. 9, adapted to engage a slide 69 formed l0ngitudinally in the screw 60, thereby preventing rotation of the screw 60 with the nut, but permitting longitudinal movement thereof. A stop 70 on the forward end of the screw limits the travel thereof in reverse direction.

In this application of the invention a reversible motor may be employed at 65, thereby making it possible to operate the screw 60 in forward or reverse direction as required to adjust, or release from adjustment, the body of the vehicle.

Although I have shown a simple and effective embodiment of my invention, I recognize that certain parts thereof are representative of other ployed to function in an equivalent manner;

therefore it is to be understood that the invention is in no manner limited to the details of disclosure but that the scope thereof is as defined in the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1.. In a vehicle, the combination of a body; a transverse axle means; spring suspension means supporting said body on said axle means in a manner to normally permit free elevation, re-

to said body; a transverse shaft journaled on said body; an elevating cam fixed on said shaft adjacent one end of said axle means; a depression cam fixed on said shaft adjacent the opposite end of said axle means, both of said cams being normally disposed out of the path of movement of the axle means to permit said free elevation, rebound, and tilting said axle means; and means for operating said shaft to cause said cams 110. engage and arrest the freedom of the axle means CPI and. positively adjust said axle means against the tension of the spring suspension means to a desired angle of tilt relative to said body.

2. In a hearse, the combination of: a body having a longitudinal axis; a wheeled structure; suspension means adapted to support said body on said wheeled structure; a platform associated with said body and adapted to be extended therefrom to a transverse position relative to said axis; and means for tilting said body relative to said wheeled structure so as to compensate for any transaxial tilting of said wheeled structure when said platform is in extended position, said means being operable between said body and said wheeled structure.

3. In a hearse, the combination of: a body having a longitudinal axis; a wheeled structure; suspension means adapted to support said body on said wheeled structure; a platform associated with said body and adapted to be extended outwardly therefrom to a transverse position relative to said axis; and cam means openable between said body and said wheeled structure to tilt said body relative to said wheeled structure so as to tilt said platform when in extended position so as to compensate for any transaxial tilting of said wheeled structure.

4. In a hearse, the combination of: a body; a wheeled structure; suspension means adapted to support said body on said wheeled structure; a. platform associated with said body and adapted to be extended therefrom; cam means adapted to raise one side of said body and lower the opposite side of said body relative to said wheeled structure; and operating means for said cam means, said operating means being adaptable to tilt said body relative to said wheeled structure when said platform is in extended position.

5. In a hearse, the combination of: a body having a longitudinal axis; an axle; flexible suspension means supporting said body on said axle; a platform associated with said body and adapted to be extended therefrom to a transverse position relative to said axis; body elevating means between said body and one end of said axle comprising a cam adapted to engage the upper surface of said axle; body depressing means between said body and the other end of said axle comprising a cam adapted to engage the under surface of said axle; and means for operating said cams so as to tilt said body relative to said axle and to tilt said platform when in extended position to compensate for any transaxial tilting of said wheeled structure.

6. In a hearse, the combination of: a body having a longitudinal axis; a wheeled structure; suspension means adapted to support said body on said wheeled structure; a platform normally within said body and adapted to be swung to a transverse position relative to said axis; and means for tilting said body relative to said wheeled structure so as to compensate for any transaxial tilting of said wheeled structure when said platform is in said transverse position.

'7. In a hearse, the combination of: a body having a longitudinal axis; a wheeled structure; suspension means adapted to support said body on said wheeled structure; a platform associated with and normally disposed within said body, said platform being adapted to be swung to a transverse position relative to said axis; and means operable between said body and said wheeled structure to tilt said body relative to said wheeled structure so as to tilt said platform when in said transverse position to compensate for any transaxial tilting of said wheeled structure.

8. In a vehicle, the combination of: a body adapted to support a load by presenting a surface upon which the load may be placed; an axle adapted to support a portion of said body by extending under said body; two springs, one on one side of said body and the other on the other side of said body, said springs each being adapted to provide a resilient support for said load by providing resilient connection between said body and 110 said axle; a pair of cams situated on opposite sides of the center of said body and adapted to act with or against said springs by exerting a force between said axle and said body; a common actuator for said cams adapted to draw one side 115 of said body toward said axle and force the other side of said bodyaway from said axle by a suitable actuation of said cams; an operating means controlled by an operator, adapted to change the level of said body With reference to said axl'by 12 actuating said common actuator; and. locking means controlled by the operator, adapted to lock said body in any desired position with reference to said axle by locking said operating means.

WILLIAM H. HEISE. 

